us by an uncontrollable Arbitrary power As to the first of these the case is plain and agreed upon on all hands that submission is necessarily requir'd to a Persecutour that acts according to the Laws of his Country this Mr. Iohnson allows p. 92. in these words When the Laws of God and our Country interfere and 't is made death by the Law of the Land to be a good Christian then we are to lay down our lives for Christ's sake So that all the dispute is about our Submission to a Persecutour that acts without the authority of the Law and contrary to it Mr. Iohnson denies that Submission is due to him by the Gospel ibid. but I shall make the contrary appear from the plain authority of the Holy Scriptures the sense of the Primitive Christians as likewise from that too of our present Church For first if we are not oblig'd to submit to a Tyrant that acts contrary to the Law we may resist him for there is no Medium flying being part of our Passive Obedience that is acknowledg'd due to a Persecutour that acts according to Law but resisting is not in any case allowable for besides our Saviour's own words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is forbidden Rom. 12. 17. to return any man evil for evil And again v. 19. Dearly beloved avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay it saith the Lord. Now if no man may pay evil to his brother that has injur'd him but by the hand of the Supreme Power how can it be allowable to render evil for evil to the Supreme Power it self It cannot be done but by a Superiour and He onely is God We have redress indeed against the violence of our fellow subject by applying our selves to the Magistrate who may punish the offender being authorized by God so to doe Rom. 3. 4. But we don't find the People have the like Power over the Magistrate Obedience is our business which is inconsistent with the liberty of resisting Grotius tells us plainly Si quia summum imperium habenti libet injuria nobis inferatur toleranda potius est quam vi resistendum For though by the Law of Nature we have the power of Repelling injuries yet we have a greater obligation from the Civil Government under which we live that wholly devests us of this right Potest igitur Civitas jus illud resistendi promiscuum publicae pacis ordinis causâ prohibere cap. 4. l. 2. de Iu. Bel. Pa. So that this patient submitting to the Arbitrary determinations of the Magistrate is not onely from the doctrine of our Saviour but from the principlâ—s of Civil prudence For the Lawyers will tell us that a mischief is better than an inconvenience not that the first formally consider'd is to be preferr'd to the latter but that an inconvenience whose consequence would reach unto the general should be prevented rather than a mischief that would onely endamage particular Hence it is that opposing the Magistrate is forbid upon any terms whatsoever since the indulgence of it would bring a train of ill consequences ten times worse than all the mischiefs we can possibly suffer from the cruelty of a lawless Tyrant For as Grotius has it in his Commentary on the 13 of the Romans Reges constituuntur ut improbitate repressa tutiùs vivant boni hoc autem plenissimè praestant boni reges mali quoque aliquatenus vel sui causa quanquam aliquando vitii aliquid interveniat nunquam tamen non tutiùs est esse Principes quam non esse Rectè ergo Tacitus vitia erunt donec homines sed neque haec continua meliorum interventu pensantur It was a Maxim the former Heathens learnt from their Philosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that this anger was not always suppos'd to be just a Latin saying to the same purpose will shew us ames parentem si aequus est si non feras and that the same if not much greater difference is to be paid to our common Father is out of question In some cases I allow it is lawfull not to obey our Parent or our King but in all cases 't is necessary not to resist St. Peter Commands Servants to be subject to their Masters with all fear not onely the good and gentle but also the froward for this is thank-worthy if a man for conscience-sake toward God endure grief suffering wrongfully and Grotius will tell us Quod dicitur subjectionem dominis deberi etiam duris idem ad reges quoque referendum Nay we owe a greater submission to our Governours than a Servant doth to his Master for if he complains of wrongfull usage redress is to be had from the Magistrate but we can onely appeal to God But to put this matter beyond all controversie let 's consider what St. Paul says Rom. 13. 2. Whosoever resists the power resists the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Here is a general rule laid down without the least exception and that it belongs to us will be evident if we consider who gave it St. Paul who being the Apostle of the Gentiles what he delivers is universal And why should we presume to be wiser than the Law and make distinctions where we find none St. Paul tells us Whoever resists the power shall be damn'd Mr. Iohnson tells us we may resist one that acts contrary to Law This distinction might be plausible if this wicked power were not the Ordinance of God but since it is as I shall evidently make out by and by the resisting this Ordinance contracts a guilt that makes us obnoxious to eternal torments Mr. Iohnson indeed quotes Bracton to prove that a Magistrate can have no power from God to act contrary to the Law Quia potestas juris solius Dei est potestas autem injuriae Diaboli But I wonder what Divine â—ver consulted a common Lawyer before about a Case of Conscience for I believe Westminster-Hall Divinity is as bad as Pulpit-law He may likewise if he please make use of Scotch Politicks and he will find his Friendâ— Knox and Buchanan of his opinion But St. Augustine will tell him Praef. in Enar. 2 Ps. 29. Every evil man hath in himself the will to hurt but to be able to hurt is not in his power In that he hath the will to hurt he is already guilty but that he should have the ability is permitted by the secret dispensation of God's Providence toward some for Punishment toward some for Tryal toward some for obtaining a Crown For punishment as the Philistins were permitted to subdue the people of Israel because they had sinned against God For tryal the Devil was permitted to assault Iob but Iob was tryed the Devil confounded For winning the Crown the Persecutours were let loose against the Martyrs the Martyrs were slain the Persecutours thought they had gotten the day
Murther is Murther I allow I hope the Reader will pardon the seeming lightness of this Answer since it is necessary to shew how hard it is for Mr. Iohnson to speak truth or sense in the most trivial concerns 5. That every man is bound to prevent Murther as far as the Law allows and ought not to submit to be Murthered if he can help it Ans. How plausible soever this seems 't is utterly false We ought indeed to prevent Murther by all the means our Laws command for they can command nothing contrary to the Scriptures but not by those they barely allow for 't is evident from what has been delivered already that the Law permits some means that are not warranted by the Gospel and those we must not cannot use for we ought not to damn our selves to prevent the violence of a Murtherer though offered to our selves for our Saviour assures us we don't lose our lives by this patient submission to death but gain them 'T will not be impertinent now to take notice of some Quotations pickt up out of Bracton to countenance Mr. Iohnson's Doctrine p. 83. who certainly has a peculiar way of perverting the sense of Authours For how else could he arm Bracton against his Prince who good man little thought his authority should be made use of to countenance disobedience or to pull down the Prerogative of which he really was so just and vigorous a defender But our Law-books may well be debaucht to serve the purposes of ill men when the Bible is and Bracton has not so much reason to complain of the injury since he hath St. Paul for a fellow Sufferer The substance of all he cites from Bracton is this Rex est sub Deo sub Lege quia Lex facit Regem If Mr. Iohnson would but let Bracton interpret himself we should have none of the absurd inferences he makes p. 83. for he tells us â— 3. c. 26. Rex habet superiorem Deum item Legem per quam factus est Rex item Curiam suam viz. Comites Barones Here we see there is no more power allowed to the Law than there is to the Earls and Barons and that they can't civilly oblige the King to Obedience but onely morally oblige his Conscience when he is persuaded their Counsels are just I am sure Mr. Iohnson himself will allow Therefore 't is evident that those words cannot relate to any coercive power but onely directive for he says just before Nec factum Regis nec Chartam potest quis judicare ita quod factum Domini Regis irritetur And what he delivers in the following words onely implies a Moral superiority by reason of a directive power in the Law and likewise in the Earls c. not any civil jurisdiction or coercive power for he declares cap. 4. p. 17. that for all the ill the King can doe God onely can punish him Satis sufficit ei pro poena quod Dominum expected ultorem This is enough to satisfie those that never did and perhaps never may see Bracton's Books of the meaning of that great Lawyer as for those that understand him they know that he of all men is not in the least guilty of any saying that may derogate from the Prerogative of the Prince for he has evidently made it his business to justifie it in its fullest extent I might here conclude but that Mr. Iohnson will give us another touch of the Primitive Christians p. 93. where he tells us we have no occasion for that admirable example of the Thebaean Legion If he had not forgot the Service of the Church he would know the patience of Martyrs was not onely the business of our imitation but the subject of our prayers too And though we have not always occasion to follow their example yet it is our constant duty to thank God for it And therefore in the most peacefully settled times this sad story is not impertinent from the Pulpit we have solemn days to Commemorate the sufferings of our blessed Saviour and the Apostles And though the Church has not thought fit to give this glorious Action a place in the Kalendar it ought certainly to be eternally fixt in our Memories for then if ill times should come and if we consider impartially God's justice and our own sins we have little reason to expect otherwise the Example and Conduct of the Thebaean Legion will be of great use to us there we shall see Souldiers dye with the same Meen they used to triumph and Chieftains not inspiring their Souldiers with Courage but instilling the softer Maxims of Patience Eucherius tells the Emperour after a second Decemation of the Legion and upon his Command to destroy them all Despair it self O Emperour which is strongest in dangers hath not arm'd us against thee Behold we have weapons and yet offer not to resist because we had rather dye than overcome chusing rather to dye innocent than live guilty c. No body but Mr. Iohnson would say this great Example is not universally to be imitated and his reason is because they suffered according to the Laws of their Country This shift of his has been sufficiently exposed already but that he may not have the least pretence to it hereafter I shall shew that the Christians under Iulian had power to resist and he declares the Laws were for them and yet they did not so that his assertion p. 94. that they would if they could and consequently that we may is utterly false Now that the Christians were able appears from all the Historians that speak of that age for not onely the greatest part of the world were Christians but Iulian's Army was entirely so for when they chose Iovinian for their Emperour he refused the Honour telling them That since he was a Christian he could not Command over Heathens but they all with one accord cried out We are Christians Rusin l. 2. c. 1. Theodoret is more full in this case for he makes the Army tell him that he shall command Christians that were ever bred up to that profession 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for those that were elder had Constantine for their Teacher the younger Constantius nay they assure him they could not be Heathens for Iulian did not live long enough to pervert them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Th. l. 4. c. 1. This Mr. Iohnson himself knew for all he saith p. 94. What would they have a few desenceless Christians doe when they had lost their strength and so many of their numbers for in his Preface p. 25. he quotes St. Aug. in Ps. 124. who there saith Though Iulian was an Apostate an Oppressour and Idolater yet Christian Souldiers served under him Now whether these were unarm'd or defenceless when they were to fight let any reasonable man judge and for their Numbers I appeal to the Historians Thus I hope I have performed my promise viz. 1. I have shewn the Unlawfulness of Excluding the next Heir upon the account of his Religion and that it is a practice altogether unknown to the Primitive Christians 2. I have proved the necessity of Passive Obedience from the Scripture the Sense of the Primitive Fathers and the Doctrine of our present Church 3. I have not left any thing unanswered in Iulian c. that opposed the Right of the next Heir or justified Resistance As for the latter part of the Book since I am not concerned in the Vindication of the Papists I shall leave it to the censure of those that are But I must needs say that Mr. Iohnson had more effectually routed the Papists if he had rather set down the Arguments with which those great Men confuted their Doctrines than onely the Rhetorick they exposed them with for we whether it be the civility or judgment of the age I shan't determine are not much affected with the Old Elizabeth-way of railing FINIS ADVERTISEMENT THere is now in the Press another Answer to Julian the Apostate Entituled JOVIAN An Answerto Julian the Apostate By a Minister of London Books Printed for Walter Kettilby at the Bishop's Head in St. Paul's Church-yard DR Fowler 's Libertas Evangelica Octavo Mr. Kidder's Discourse of Christian Fortiâ—ude Oct. Mr. Allen's Discourse of Divine Assistence Oct. Christian Justification Stated Oct. against Ferguson of Justification Oct. Persuasive to Peace and Unity with a large Preface against the Quakers Oct. Mystery of Iniquity unfolded against the Papists Oct. Serious and Friendly Address to the Non-conformists Oct. Practical Discourse of Humility Oct. Mr. Lamb's Stop to the Course of Separation Oct. Fresh Suit against Independency Oct. Mr. Long 's History of the Donatists Oct. Character of a Separatist Oct. against Hale's of Schism with Baxter's Arguments for Conformity Oct. Non-conformists Plea for Peace Impleaded against Mr. Baxter Oct. Dr. Grove's Vindication of the Conforming Clergy Quarto Defence of the Church and Clergy of England Qu. Responsio ad Celeusma Qu. Defentio suae Responsionis ad nuperum Libellum qui inscribitur Celeusma Qu. Remarks on the Growth and Progress of Non-conformity Qu. Baxter's Vindication of the Church of England in her Rights and Ceremonies Discipline and Church-Order Qu. Mr. Halliwell's Discourse of the Excellency of Christianiâ—y Qu. True and lively Representation of Popery shewing that Popery is only New-modelled Paganism Qu. Account of Familism against the Quakers Oct. Sacred Method of saving Humane Souls Qu. Discourse of the Kingdom of Darkness Oct. Cleget's Reply to the Mischief of Impositions in Answer to Dr. Stilling â—â—eet's Sermon Qu. The True English-man Humbly proposing something to rid us of the Plot in State and Contention in the Church Qu. A Persuasive to Reformation and Unity as the best security against the Designs of our Popish Enemies Qu. The Harmony of Natural and Positive Divine Laws by Walter Charleton M. D. Orig. l. 8. contra Cel. Atha Apol. ad Const. Ath. ibid. Râ—f 17. 18.
that Passive Obedience was necessary for the first Christians because the Laws were against them but not to those under Iulian because the Laws were for them I answer that this distinction is frivolous for since the will of their Emperour was a Law as Gregory acknowledges In. p. 92. if they were executed by his Command they died lawfully But I shall refer the farther proof of this to a particular Chapter of Passive Obedience But since he urges the Authority of holy Scripture to confirm what he says in this place we must for method sake take notice of it which is the fifth thing to be answer'd viz. That Passive Obedience is contrary to the Gospel as may be seen 1 Cor. 7. 21 22 23 verses with Dr. Hammond's Paraphrase 'T is very strange that when our Saviour so often recommends sufferings to us as our duty and the badge of our profession that quietly and patiently submitting to them should be contrary to the Gospel certainly he has a particular Bible to himself for we find in ours that suffering is particularly the business of the Gospel and is the great concluding beatitude Mat. 5. 11. nay 't is evident that misery and persecution were first entail'd on Christianity for the Jews had the prospect of Temporal blessings Riches and honours were the lot of their inheritance but we are commanded to take up the Cross and despise the shame of it that thereby we might imitate him who condescended to be our great exemplar But however it will not be amiss to see what Reason he has for this monstrous assertion and because every one has not Dr. Hammond's Paraphrase at hand which I am confident is the reason he quoted it I shall give it you here with the Text. V. 21. Art thou call'd being a servant care not for it but if thou mayst be made free use it rather Para. In what condition of life soever a man is when he is converted to Christianity let him contentedly continue in it and not think that Christian Religion frees a man from any obligation that lay upon him before for that is to make Christian Religion a pretence to covetousness or lust or secular advantages see 1 Tim. 6. if either being a Christian might manumit a servant or free a husband or a wife from former obligation He therefore that being a bondman is converted to Christianity must not think that it is any disparagement to his Christianity that he continues a servant still nor be solicitous of changing his condition Yet this is not so to be understood but that if by any fair regular means he can obtain his freedom he may then make use of them and prefer liberty before servitude for so he might have done had he never been a Christian Ver. 22. For he that is call'd in the Lord being a servant is the Lord's freeman likewise he that is call'd being free is Christ's servant Para. For he that being in the condition of a servant is converted to Christianity doth by his conversion become a freeman in respect of Christ not that he ceases to be a servant to his former master or reaps any secular advantages thereby but his advantages are spiritual viz. that by being a Christian he is freed from many servitudes that of sin c. that lye upon all others and to live in Christ's family as one of his freemen though in respect of the world he continue as a servant And so on the other side he that is a freeman and turns Christian becomes thereby a servant of Christ's undertaking Obedience to his Command though he lose not his liberty in the world by that means By which 't is clear that Christ meddles not with the secular Government of this world nor changes any man 's outward condition by his becoming Christian Ver. 23. Ye are bought with a price be not servants of men Para. Ye that are Christians and not formerly servants to Heathens do not voluntarily put your selves in that condition but chuse liberty rather Certainly Mr. Johnson has a different Edition of Dr. Hammond as well as of the Bible from that which is in use with us for from these Texts above cited nothing can be infer'd to prove what he designs viz. that we are encourag'd by Christianity to procure more civil Liberties and Franchises for it is positively set down in the Paraphrase that Christ meddles not with the secular government of this world nor changes any man 's outward condition by his becoming Christian. One would think by this way of procedure Mr. Johnson like Julian onely reades the Scriptures to pervert other people by an ill application of them and to use the Gospel against his Saviour 2. His inference that St. Paul was against Passive Obedience Act. 22. 26 c. because he told the Captain that was ignorant of his condition that he was a Roman and consequently exempt from the punishment he was going to inflict upon him is the most absurd reasoning imaginable I perceive after all his bawling against Passive Obedience he is perfectly ignorant what it is for to suffer torments when we can avert them by lawfull means is not Passive Obedience but stupidity this is not taking up the Cross as a great Man observes but pulling it down upon us Christianity allows us to make a defence but we are not to resist we may certainly tell our story but if that will not be heard we must submit with patience And these were the Methods of the Primitive Christians they pray'd to God they supplicated to their Emperours to avert a threatn'd persecution but if these means would not doe they had Gregory Nazianzen's comfort left still to dye patiently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Since Passive Obedience is not onely allow'd but enjoin'd by the Gospel as is briefly shown already and shall be more fully prov'd by and by that it should be contrary to the Law of the Land which is the sixth and last thing he lays down cannot be admitted since our Laws must necessarily conform to the determinations of the Holy Scriptures and whatsoever is enacted contrary to them is ipso facto void and I am sure whatever he says will hardly induce any man in his right senses to think otherwise I am sure the Case he brings p. 9. is nothing to the purpose for he can onely infer from that That a man may kill an aggressour and the Law take no hold of him If he could prove from any instance that the Law obliges a man if he can to kill one that offers violence to him he had said something But there is a vast difference between what the Law permits and what it commands he is not indeed obnoxious to any legal punishment here but the verdict of a Iury will not absolve him from a guilt he has contracted by disobeying our Saviour who has commanded us not to resist evil evil not signifying a thing but a person Mat. 5. 39. So that the killing of a
these did falsly triumph in publick the other were truly crown'd in secret Therefore that he is permitted to deal against any proceedeth from the secret dispensation of God's Providence but that he hath a will to hurt cometh from the man himself Here we see opposing even a Persecutour is resisting the Ordinance of God since he hath his power from above and what the consequence of that is no Christian can be ignorant of Now that this was not Casually spoken by that Great Father but his setled opinion is plain from his constant adhering to it For in another place he says l. 5. de C. D. c. 8. From whom God are all powers howsoever all mens wills are not from him and again Id. de Na. Bon. c. The power even of hurtfull Kings is from God Theod. likewise on the 13 to the Romans Quum vult eos qui peccant castigare à malis Magistratibus regi permittit And Isidore tells us plainly Hence we see both a bad and good power is ordained by God Bonam propitio malam irato for we owe good Kings to the gift of God but evil ones to our sins Reges quando boni sunt â—uneris est Deâ— quando vero mali sceleris est Populi But some may say the Fathers are men and consequently may err to obviate this Cavil I shall add the undoubted authority of Scripture Rom. 13. 1. There is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God and Iob 34. 10. God maketh a wicked man to reign for the sins of the People Since therefore 't is plain from these many instances that the power of wicked Princes is from God our resistance cannot be any ways warrantable We may as well quarrel with Providence for sending Plagues among us or murmur at the Almighty when he visits us with his Judgments as resist a Persecutour for he is sent to punish us for our sins he is onely the instrument the rod in God's hand which we ought rather to kiss than burn I hope it has been sufficiently proved from the Scriptures and Sense of the Fathers that the power of wicked Princes is from God and consequently it is our duty to submit to them though they act never so illegally It remains now that I should prove that this is likewise the Doctrine of our present Church and here I might refer my Reader to all the Writings of our Eminent Divines since the Reformation whose business it has been to preach up Obedience to Governours and have unanimously declar'd against resistance upon any terms whatsoever I might transcribe great part of Bishop Bilson Bishop Taylour and Dr. Hammond's Tracts upon this subject but I shall rather chuse onely to quote the Homilies it being agreed on all sides that in them is contain'd the true Doctrine of our Church and Mr. Iohnson deservedly stiles them the next best book to the Bible I wish he could commend them upon his own knowledge but I am afraid he never read any more of them than serv'd for a present purpose and cares as little for them otherwise as the Country people do For if he had met with the Homilies against Rebellion and Disobedience we should never have had that assertion p. 92. That the onely Case wherein the Gospel requires Passive Obedience is when the Laws are against a man For in the first Homily against Disobedience and Wilfull Rebellion there are these words We shall find in very many and almost infinite places in Holy Scripture as well of the Old Testament as the New as well the Evil as the Good do reign by God's Ordinance and we are bound to obey them And again It cometh not of chance and fortune as they term it nor of the ambition of mortal men and women climing up of their own accord to dominion that there be Kings Queens and Princes and other Governours over men being their Subjects but All Kings and Queens and other Governours are especially appointed by the Ordinance of God And again What shall Subjects doe then shall they obey the valiant stout wise and good Princes and contemn disobey and rebell against Children or against indiscreet and evil Governours God forbid c. And the reason follows For a Rebell is worse than the worst Prince and Rebellion worse than the worst Government of the worst Prince that hitherto has been And in another place Shall the Subjects both by their wickedness provoke God for their deserved punishment to give them an undiscrect or evil Prince and also rebell against them and also against God who for the punishment of their sins did give them such a Prince I am weary of transcribing out of a Book that ought to be almost as well known to us as our Bibles but I can't forbear to insert this passage which is so pertinent to the business in hand and makes it plain that we ought by our repentance to avert the miseries of a wicked Prince and not by resisting his power the words are these Let us take away our wickedness that provok'd God to set such an one over us and God will either displace him or of an evil Prince make him a good Prince so that we first change our evil into good for Subjects to deserve through their sins to have an evil Prince and to rebell against him were double and treble evil by provoking God more to plague them Nay let us either deserve to have a good Prince or let us patiently suffer and obey such as we deserve Having thus secur'd the Supreme Magistrate from the violence of his Subjects it will be necessary to take some care of his under Officers whose power since it is the Ordinance of God for Epiphanius proves that the many Magistrates under one King are Ordain'd of God from the 13 to the Romans ought no more to be resisted than the King 's Though this may seem something harsh in an English man's ears who will acknowledge perhaps that the King can doe no injury and is above the censure of the Law yet he knows his Officers are accountable for any illegal act and the very Command of the Prince cannot secure them from being impeach't by the People granting this to be very true yet I shall still assert that the inferiour Magistrate though in the execution of an illegal act is not to be repell'd by force for though Bracton tells us Ei qui vult viribus uti erit viriliter resistendum and the law in our own defence permits us to kill our enemy yet as it is sufficiently declar'd before we sin in so doing and though we escape here judgment will overtake us hereafter Let 's hear St. Peter's opinion in the case 1 Pet. 2. 13 14 15. Submit your selves unto every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake whether to the King as supreme or unto governours as unto them that are sent by himâ— For this is the will of God c. From this 't is plain that we